Investigators arrived at the weekly auction at 9:30 a.m. It was a chilly morning with temperatures around 26 degrees Fahrenheit.
The auction was already very busy and the parking lot was full. All the local kill buyers such as Rotz Livestock, Diamond K Ranch, and Brian Moore were present.
The horse sale started at 10:34 a.m. As has been noted in the past with the animals going through this sale, several horses were again observed in poor condition, skinny, and with neglected hooves. One chestnut mare had an injured left eye. Investigators also saw a thin Standardbred with a serious tooth abscess.
The kill buyer prospects were mainly kept in the outside pens adjacent the loading dock. Some of the horses had been put into the narrow cattle chute awaiting sale and were obviously quite frightened. One aggressive horse was continuously biting the horse in front of him which had no way to avoid or escape the attacks.
The horse sale went at a fast pace with each horse remaining in the auction ring for approximately 30 seconds. Many horses were sold loose “as is” and with “signed papers.”
Several Thoroughbreds were among the animals sold to the kill buyers. These horses were sold above meat price indicating that they were most likely purchased for resale via broker programs rather than for slaughter.
Prices paid by the kill buyers in attendance ranged from $225 for slaughter horses to $900 for resale horses. AA will continue to monitor the situation and report all violations to the appropriate authorities.